THE acclaimed Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra launches its new season under the baton of Kirill Karabits next week. Here are six highlights for 2018-19:

1. A performance of Mahler’s Symphony number two kicks off the season at Lighthouse in Poole, on Wednesday, October 3, with soprano Lise Lindstrom, mezzo-soprano Nadine Weissmann and the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus.

2. BSO’s Bournemouth season promises to be extra special as the orchestra celebrates the 90th anniversary of the pavilion with a concert on Sunday, March 10, featuring the best of British music from the time, conducted by Stephen Bell.

3. The opening night of the BSO’s season at Bournemouth Pavilion will be a glorious Beethoven Five’ on Saturday, October 6. The orchestra will be joined conductor Frank Zielhorst, BSO’s Leverhulme Young Conductor in Association 2014-2016.

4. BSO’s new Leverhulme Young Conductor in Association is Marta Gardolińska, who will be conducting two concerts at Bournemouth Pavilion. Marta’s first concert will be ‘Grand Tour’ on Sunday, October 21, and her second concert with the BSO at Bournemouth Pavilion, ‘Hall of Fame’, takes place on Saturday, May 11.

5. English composer Mark-Anthony Turnage has been commissioned to write Testament - a setting of four Ukrainian poems for soprano and orchestra at Lighthouse on November 7.

6. New artist-in-residence for the season, German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser, will provide three programmes this season. For more details or to book tickets, visit bsolive.com